Several leaders to join BJP at Amit Shah's meeting in Khammam

ADILABAD: Top BJP leadership in Telangana is focusing on enrolling several political leaders from the erstwhile Adilabad district into the BJP in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah on August 27.

Party Telangana elections campaign committee chairman Etala Rajender is touring the erstwhile Adilabad district and holding discussions with leaders who worked with him during the Telangana agitation. He reached Nirmal on Thursday.

It is believed he has a list of 20–22 political leaders from different assembly constituencies who are ready to join the BJP, including some at Amit Shah’s meeting on August 27 in Khammam. Others will join later in a phased manner.

A senior leader said BJP is waiting for the announcement of BRS party candidates’ list so that they could convince those not getting the ruling party ticket to join the BJP.   

It is said top BJP leaders are in touch with former MLA Gaddam Aravind Reddy of Mancherial. Just before the last assembly elections, he had joined the Congress, aspiring for its ticket from Mancherial. But he did not get it. He immediately returned to BRS and extended his support BRS candidate Diwakar Rao in the 2018 elections.

Aravind Reddy has, however, not been much active in BRS and has participated only in a few party programmes. He had been elected twice and has clout in the Singareni area of the Mancherial district.    
Etala Rajender has had good relations with Aravind Reddy for a long time. Both had played a key role in Telangana Boggugani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), which has been the recognised trade union of SCCL twice.

It is learned two doctors running private hospitals belonging to Munnurukapu and Peraka communities in Mancherial town are keen on joining the BJP. They have approached Kishan Reddy and Etala Rajender for the same. The doctors have been asked to meet BJP national executive committee member Gaddam Vivek, who is looking after party activities in the coal belt area in Mancherial district and Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency.